Ejectable component assemblies in electronic devices

ABSTRACT

Electronic devices are provided with ejectable component assemblies that can be substantially flush with the external surfaces of the housings of the devices, despite variations in their manufacture. The ejectable component assemblies may include connectors coupled to circuit boards of the devices, and trays that can be loaded with removable modules, inserted through openings in the housings of the devices, and into the connectors for functionally aligning the removable modules with the circuit boards. The ejectable component assemblies may also include ejectors coupled to the housings of the devices for ejecting the trays from the connectors and, thus, from the devices themselves.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation patent application of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 15/275,161, filed Sep. 23, 2016, which is acontinuation patent application of U.S. patent application Ser. No.14/276,610, filed May 13, 2014 and titled “Ejectable ComponentAssemblies in Electronic Devices,” now U.S. Pat. No. 9,504,179, which isa continuation patent application of U.S. patent application Ser. No.13/429,563, filed Mar. 26, 2012 and titled “Ejectable ComponentAssemblies in Electronic Devices,” now U.S. Pat. No. 8,725,198, which isa continuation patent application of U.S. patent application Ser. No.12/967,234, filed Dec. 14, 2010 and titled “Ejectable ComponentAssemblies in Electronic Devices,” now U.S. Pat. No. 8,145,261, which isa continuation patent application of U.S. patent application Ser. No.11/824,032, filed Jun. 28, 2007 and titled “Ejectable ComponentAssemblies in Electronic Devices,” now U.S. Pat. No. 7,865,210, whichclaims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No.60/878,805, filed Jan. 5, 2007 and titled “Ejectable ComponentAssemblies in Electronic Devices,” the disclosures of which are herebyincorporated by reference herein in their entireties.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present invention can relate to apparatus and methods for improvingthe construction of ejectable component assemblies in electronicdevices.

The proliferation of electronic devices (e.g., portable MP3 players) andthe various ways in which such devices are being transported havecreated a need for improved construction of ejectable componentassemblies for such devices.

Some known ejectable component assemblies for personal electronicdevices include a tray for receiving a removable module, and a connectorcoupled to a circuit board within the housing of the device forreceiving the tray as it is inserted through an opening in the housingand for retaining the tray such that the module is functionally alignedwith the circuit board. Variations in the manufacture of such electronicdevices result in, for example, variations in the distance between thecircuit board and the opening in the housing through which the tray ofan ejectable component assembly is to be inserted. These manufacturingvariations generally create an undesirable abruptness in the profilecreated by the tray and the external surface of the housing about itsopening once the tray has been inserted therein.

Moreover, some known ejectable component assemblies for personalelectronic devices also include an ejector coupled to the circuit boardof the device for ejecting the tray from the connector and, thus, thehousing of the device. The manufacturing variations of the device alsotend to create variations in the distance between a user external to thedevice and the ejector. Therefore, the interaction between the user andthe ejector for ejecting a tray from the device may not functionsimilarly in all devices due to these manufacturing variations.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

Personal electronic devices with ejectable component assemblies that canbe substantially flush with the external surfaces of the housings of thedevices, despite variations in their manufacture, are provided.

According to a particular embodiment of the present invention, there isprovided an electronic device that can include a circuit board, ahousing about the circuit board, and an ejectable component assembly.The ejectable component assembly can include a tray for holding aremovable module, and a connector coupled to the circuit board forretaining the tray when the tray is inserted in a first directionthrough an opening in the housing. In one embodiment, when the tray isretained by the connector, the tray can not be inserted further in thefirst direction through the opening, and the tray can not be ejected ina second direction opposite to the first direction from the opening.However, the circuit board can be moved in at least one of the firstdirection and the second direction with respect to the opening.

In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, there is providedan electronic device that can include a circuit board with couplingcircuitry, a housing enclosing the circuit board, and an ejectablecomponent assembly. The ejectable component assembly can include aconnector coupled to the circuit board for retaining a removable modulewhen the module is inserted through an opening in the housing, and anejector coupled to the housing for ejecting the module from theconnector when the module is retained by the connector.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other features of the present invention, its nature andvarious advantages will become more apparent upon consideration of thefollowing detailed description, taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, in which like reference characters refer to likeparts throughout, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary personal electronic device,in a first stage of actuation, in accordance with the principles of thepresent invention;

FIG. 2 is an elevational view of a portion of the personal electronicdevice of FIG. 1, taken from line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an elevational view of an embodiment of a removable module tobe used with the personal electronic device of FIGS. 1 and 2 inaccordance with the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 3A is an elevational view, similar to FIG. 3, of an alternativeembodiment of a removable module to be used with the personal electronicdevice of FIGS. 1 and 2 in accordance with the principles of the presentinvention;

FIG. 4 is an elevational view of a portion of the personal electronicdevice of FIGS. 1 and 2, similar to FIG. 2, cooperating with theremovable module of FIG. 3, in a second stage of actuation in accordancewith the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a horizontal cross-sectional view of the personal electronicdevice of FIGS. 1 and 2, taken from line 5-5 of FIG. 2, but cooperatingwith the removable module of FIGS. 3 and 4, in the second stage ofactuation of FIG. 4, in accordance with the principles of the presentinvention;

FIG. 6 is a horizontal cross-sectional view of the personal electronicdevice of FIGS. 1, 2, and 5, similar to FIG. 5, but in a third stage ofactuation, in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the personal electronicdevice of FIGS. 1, 2, 5, and 6, taken from line 7-7 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the personal electronicdevice of FIGS. 1, 2, and 5-7, taken from line 8-8 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 9 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the personal electronicdevice of FIGS. 1, 2, and 5-8, taken from line 9-9 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 10 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the personal electronicdevice of FIGS. 1, 2, and 5-9, taken from line 10-10 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 11 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the personal electronicdevice of FIGS. 1, 2, and 5-10, similar to FIG. 10, but with portions ofan ejectable component assembly removed;

FIG. 12 is a vertical cross-sectional view, similar to FIG. 11, of analternative embodiment of a personal electronic device in accordancewith the principles of the present invention; and

FIG. 13 is a vertical cross-sectional view, similar to FIG. 11, ofanother alternative embodiment of a personal electronic device inaccordance with the principles of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE

Apparatus and methods are provided for improving the construction ofejectable component assemblies, and are described below with referenceto FIGS. 1-13.

FIGS. 1-11 show an embodiment of personal electronic device 10 includingat least one ejectable component assembly. The term “personal electronicdevice” can include, but is not limited to, music players, videoplayers, still image players, game players, other media players, musicrecorders, video recorders, cameras, other media recorders, radios,medical equipment, calculators, cellular telephones, other wirelesscommunication devices, personal digital assistants, remote controls,pagers, laptop computers, printers, or combinations thereof. In somecases, the electronic devices may perform a single function (e.g., anelectronic device dedicated to playing music) and, in other cases, theelectronic devices may perform multiple functions (e.g., an electronicdevice that plays music, displays video, stores pictures, and receivesand transmits telephone calls).

In any case, these electronic devices are generally any portable,mobile, hand-held, or miniature electronic device having an ejectablecomponent assembly constructed in accordance with the principles of thepresent invention so as to allow a user to listen to music, play games,record videos, take pictures, and/or conduct telephone calls, forexample, wherever the user travels. Miniature personal electronicdevices may have a form factor that is smaller than that of hand-heldpersonal electronic devices, such as an iPod™ available by AppleComputer, Inc. of Cupertino, Calif. Illustrative miniature personalelectronic devices can be integrated into various objects that include,but are not limited to, watches, rings, necklaces, belts, accessoriesfor belts, headsets, accessories for shoes, virtual reality devices,other wearable electronics, accessories for sporting equipment,accessories for fitness equipment, key chains, or any combinationthereof. Alternatively, electronic devices that incorporate an ejectablecomponent assembly may not be portable at all.

Personal electronic device 10 can include at least one user inputcomponent assembly (see, e.g., input component assembly 12) that allowsa user to manipulate a function of the device, at least one deviceoutput component assembly (see, e.g., output component assembly 14) thatprovides the user with valuable device generated information, at leastone ejectable component assembly (e.g., ejectable component assembly 16)that allows a user to insert and eject a removable module into and fromthe device, and a protective housing (see, e.g., housing 18) that atleast partially encloses the one or more input, output, and ejectablecomponent assemblies of the device.

I/O component assemblies 12, 14, and 16 can include any type ofcomponent assembly that receives and/or transmits digital and/or analogdata (e.g., audio data, video data, other types of data, or acombination thereof). For example, input component assembly 12 may be ofa variety of input component forms, including, but not limited to,sliding switches, buttons, keypads, dials, scroll wheels, touch screendisplays, electronics for accepting audio and/or visual information,antennas, infrared ports, or combinations thereof. Furthermore, outputcomponent assembly 14 may be of a variety of output component forms,including, but not limited to, audio speakers, headphones, audioline-outs, visual displays, antennas, infrared ports, or combinationsthereof. Moreover, ejectable component assembly 16 may be any assemblythat inserts into and ejects from the device a removable module (see,e.g., module 30 of FIGS. 3 and 4) that may be of a variety of forms,including, but not limited to, integrated circuit cards (ICCs), chipcards, memory cards, flash memory cards, microprocessor cards, smartcards, such as subscriber identity module (SIM) cards, or combinationsthereof, containing electronic circuitry (see, e.g., circuitry 32 ofFIGS. 3 and 4) from which the device may read data and/or to which thedevice may write data.

In one embodiment of the present invention, and as shown in FIG. 1,ejectable component assembly 16 can include removable module tray 20that may be insertable into and ejectable from housing 18 throughhousing opening 19 in a surface thereof. As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 4,for example, tray 20 can include first end 21, second end 23, and bodyportion 22 extending therebetween. A module holder 24 can be included infirst surface 25 of body portion 22 for holding a removable moduletherein during use of assembly 16. Holder 24 can be sized tosubstantially match that of module 30, as shown in FIG. 3, such thatmodule 30 may be snap-fitted into holder 24 by a user, and such thatelectronic circuitry 32 on first surface 31 of module 30 is facing awayfrom holder 24 of tray 20 and is therefore exposed, as shown in FIG. 4.Electronic circuitry 32 can be any integrated circuit (IC), such as amicrochip, silicon chip, or computer chip, that generally includessemiconductor devices and passive components that have been manufacturedin the surface of a thin substrate of semiconductor material on surface31 of module 30, such that device 10 may read data from or write datainto the circuitry when module 30 is inserted into the device usingejectable component assembly 16.

A module retainer or module retaining element 26 may be coupled to oneor more sides of holder 24 for retaining module 30 therein. For example,retaining element 26 may be a spring flexure coupled to tray 20 withinholder 24 such that the spring flexure may be compressed by removablemodule 30 upon its insertion into holder 24 for tightly retaining module30 therein, as shown in FIG. 4. Moreover, a hole, such as hole 27, canbe provided through holder 24 of tray 20, such that a user may easilyrelease module 30 from holder 24 by exerting a force on module 30through hole 27 in a direction substantially away from holder 24 (see,e.g., the direction of arrow 33 in FIG. 10, but when tray 20 has beenejected from device 10).

Once module 30 has been loaded into holder 24, tray 20 may be insertedinto a connector that is internal to housing 18 of device 10. Forexample, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, ejectable component assembly 16 mayalso include a connector (see, e.g., connector 40) for receiving andholding removable tray 20 within housing 18 of device 10 such thatelectronic circuitry 32 of module 30 may align with and be accessed by amodule reader/writer of device 10 (see, e.g., coupling circuitry 17 ofFIGS. 5 and 10, as described in more detail below). Therefore, housing18 of device 10 may be designed to protect the electrical components(e.g., I/O component assemblies 12, 14, and 16) and at least one circuitboard 11 coupled thereto.

FIGS. 5 and 6 show how the signals of each I/O component assembly 12,14, and 16 may, for example, be coupled to circuit board 11, and thesignals of circuit board 11 may be coupled to each I/O componentassembly 12, 14, and 16, via a respective coupling circuitry 13, 15, and17. Each one of coupling circuitries 13, 15, and 17 can allow circuitboard 11 to properly receive signals from and/or transmit signals to itsrespective I/O component assembly 12, 14, and 16. Each of couplingcircuitries 13, 15, and 17 can include, but is not limited to, anyflexible printed circuit (FPC), including one-sided, double-sided,multi-layer, dual access, rigid-flex FPCs, or combinations thereof.

Circuit board 11 may be any type of circuit board, including, but notlimited to, printed circuit boards (PCBs), logic boards, printed wiringboards, etched wiring boards, and other known boards, that may be usedto mechanically support and electronically connect electrical components(e.g., I/O component assemblies 12, 14, and 16 via coupling circuitries13, 15, and 17). Circuit board 11 can, for example, be constructed usingone or more layers of a non-conductive substrate and signal conductingpathways. The signal conducting pathways may exist in one or more layersor in each layer of the non-conductive substrate. The signal conductinglayers, sometimes referred to as traces, members, or leads, may be ametal conductive material (e.g., copper or gold) or an opticalconductive material (e.g., fiber optics). Therefore, when one or more ofI/O component assemblies 12, 14, and 16 are physically and electricallycoupled to board 11 via coupling circuitries 13, 15, and 17, board 11may communicate with the one or more component assemblies of device 10concurrently in order for the device to function properly.

FIGS. 5 and 6 show, for example, how connector 40 of ejectable componentassembly 16 may be coupled to board 11 (e.g., by surface mounttechnology (SMT)) such that, when tray 20 loaded with module 30 isinserted into device 10 through opening 19 of housing 18 in thedirection of arrow 39, connector 40 may receive, guide, and hold tray 20such that electronic circuitry 32 of module 30 aligns with couplingcircuitry 17 of circuit board 11 (also, see, e.g., FIG. 10). Althoughthe portions of housing 18 about opening 19 may at least initially guidethe insertion of end 23 of tray 20 through opening 19 in the directionof arrow 39, connector 40 can include track 42 provided by guide rails42A and 42B extending between their respective first ends 41A and 41Band their respective second ends 43A and 43B for guiding tray 20 in thedirection of arrow 39 once it has been inserted through opening 19.

In one embodiment, first end 41 of track 42 between first ends 41A and41B of guide rails 42A and 42B, respectively, can have a width W that isgreater than the width W′ of the second end 43 of track 42 betweensecond ends 43A and 43B, such that track 42 may increasingly narrowabout tray 20 as tray 20 is inserted further into connector 40 ofassembly 16 through opening 19 in the direction of arrow 39. Therefore,in the event that second end 23 of tray 20 happens to be insertedthrough opening 19 at some angle offset from the direction of arrow 39,the larger dimension of width W of first end 41 can enable guide rails42A and 42B of track 42 to nevertheless receive second end 23 of tray 20therebetween and direct second end 23 of tray 20 towards second ends 43Aand 43B of the guide rails in the direction of arrow 39.

FIGS. 5 and 6 also show, for example, how a tray detector or traydetecting element 44 may be provided by connector 40 for detecting whena tray (e.g., tray 20, with or without module 30 loaded therein) hasbeen received by track 42. For example, detecting element 44 may be anycircuitry capable of communicating with circuit board 11 such that board11 can determine whether a tray has been fully loaded into a connectorof the ejectable component assembly of the device (also see, e.g., FIG.10). It is to be understood, especially with respect to FIGS. 11-13,that tray detecting element 44 can have no resistive effect on themovement of tray 20 in the direction of arrow 39 into connector 40 or inthe direction of arrow 59 out of connector 40. Moreover, connector 40may also include hole 45 therethrough, at least partially runningbetween guide rails 42A and 42B, such that coupling circuitry 17 ofboard 11 may be exposed to electronic circuitry 32 of module 30 whentray 20 has been fully received by track 42 (see, e.g., FIGS. 5 and 10).Alternatively, connector 40 may include its own circuitry that allowscommunication between circuitry 32 of module 30 and circuitry 17 ofboard 11.

Track 42 may receive and guide tray 20 towards an appropriate positionthat functionally aligns electronic circuitry 32 of module 30 withcoupling circuitry 17 of board 11. However, connector 40 may also beprovided with one or more tray retainers or retaining elements 46 forretaining tray 20 once tray 20 has been fully inserted into connector 40through opening 19 of housing 18 and has reached a functional alignmentwith board 11. The one or more tray retainers 46 of connector 40 can beprovided to retain tray 20 not only such that electronic circuitry 32 ofmodule 30 remains properly aligned with coupling circuitry 17 of circuitboard 11 when loaded into holder 24 of tray 20, but also such that end21 of tray 20 is at least substantially flush with the surface ofhousing 18 about opening 19.

For example, connector 40 can include first and second tray retainingelements 46A and 46B on opposite sides of hole 45. Each retainingelement 46 can include base 47, head 49, and arm 48 extending betweenbase 47 and head 49. Base 47 can cooperate with arm 48 such that theflexibility of retainer 46 may allow head 49 to pivot from its originalposition with respect to base 47 (e.g., in the general directions ofarrows 46′) when an external force is exerted upon head 49 (e.g., by end23 of tray 20). Moreover, base 47 can cooperate with arm 48 such thatthe bias of retainer 46 may exert its own force on head 49, in adirection opposite to that exerted by the external force, to attempt toreturn head 49 to its original position with respect to base 47 (e.g.,the position of head 49 with respect to base 47 as shown in FIG. 5,wherein heads 49A and 49B are separated by a distance D).

For example, as shown in FIG. 5, heads 49A and 49B of tray retainers 46Aand 46B, respectively, can be separated by a distance D when each headis in its original position with respect to its base. However, as shownin FIG. 6, for example, heads 49A and 49B can be separated by a distanceD′ that is equal to or greater than distance D. This can be due to thefact that heads 49A and 49B can extend through guide rails 42A and 42B,respectively, and can retain a portion of tray 20 therebetween byexerting the force exerted by the bias of retainers 46A and 46B on thatportion of tray 20. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 9, heads 49A and 49B can,for example, contact and exert their biasing force on tray 20 withinrespective grooved or notched portions 29A and 29B along the sides oftray 20.

The length of distance L between the external surface of housing 18about opening 19 and circuit board 11 (see, e.g., FIGS. 5 and 9), andthereby the length of distance L′ between that surface and couplingcircuitry 17 (see, e.g., FIGS. 5 and 10), can vary significantly becauseof inconsistencies in the ways in which each of the various parts ofdevice 10 are fabricated and assembled together. Connector 40 ofejectable component assembly 16 may be able to tolerate these changes inthe length of distances L and L′, and, regardless of these manufacturingvariations, may be able to ensure that tray 20 is pulled into andretained by connector 40 in such a way that end 21 of tray 20 is atleast substantially flush with the surface of housing 18 about opening19 and does not jut out beyond that surface, for example. As shown inFIGS. 11-13, for example, variations in the length of distance L betweenthe surface of housing 18 about opening 19 and circuit board 11 can beabsorbed by the ability of tray retainer 46 to pull tray 20 as far aspossible in the direction of arrow 39 to its fully loaded position.Moreover, these manufacturing variations can be absorbed by the abilityof tray retainer 46 to retain tray 20 at that fully loaded position,such that the interaction of end 21 of tray 20 with the portions ofhousing 18 about opening 19 can define how far tray 20 may be pulled inthe direction of arrow 39 to its fully loaded position by retainer 46.

As shown in FIG. 11, which may be similar to FIG. 6, but with track 42and tray ejector 50 (described in more detail below) removed for thesake of clarity, circuit board 11 can be manufactured into device 10 insuch a way that it is separated by the surface of housing 18 aboutopening 19 by a distance L, and, thus, in such a way that second end 23of tray 20 in its fully loaded position is separated by the end ofconnector 40 by distance E. In this embodiment of device 10, forexample, upon insertion of tray 20 into connector 40 in the direction ofarrow 39, heads 49A and 49B of retainer 46 may slide along and exerttheir biasing force on the sides of tray 20 until they finally maintainand hold their positions at points PM within respective grooves 29A and29B that are substantially half-way therealong between end points P1 andP2 of the grooves.

The biasing force of retainer 46 may attempt to push heads 49A and 49Bcloser together (i.e., to reduce the length of distance D′ therebetweento that of original distance D (see, e.g., FIG. 5)), for example, bysliding heads 49 along their respective grooves in the direction ofarrow 59 from points PM towards points P1. However, the movement of tray20 in the direction of arrow 39 that would be required for this slidingof heads 49 towards points P1 can be prevented by the interaction of end21 of tray 20 with the portions of housing 18 about opening 19.

Moreover, the slope of grooves 29 from points P1 to P2 along with thebiasing force of retainer 46 to reduce the length of distance D′ canprevent heads 49 from sliding from points PM towards points P2, andtherefore can prevent tray 20 from moving in the direction of arrow 59with respect to housing 18. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 11, theinteraction of the geometry of grooves 29 and the biasing force exertedby heads 49 of retainer 46 therein (e.g., at points PM) can pull tray 20as far as possible in the direction of arrow 39 to its fully loadedposition. Furthermore, this interaction of the geometry of grooves 29and the biasing force exerted by heads 49 of retainer 46 therein canretain tray 20 at that position such that the interaction of end 21 oftray 20 with the portions of housing 18 about opening 19 can define howfar tray 20 is pulled in the direction of arrow 39 to its fully loadedposition by retainer 46.

FIG. 12 shows device 10′, which can be similar to device 10 of FIGS.1-11, except that, in this embodiment, circuit board 11 can bemanufactured into device 10′ such that it is separated by the surface ofhousing 18 about opening 19 by a distance LL that may be substantiallylonger than distance L of FIG. 11. Likewise, circuit board 11 can bemanufactured into device 10′ in such a way that second end 23 of tray 20in its fully loaded position can be separated by the end of connector 40by a distance EL that may be substantially longer than distance E ofFIG. 11. In this embodiment of device 10′, for example, upon insertionof tray 20 into connector 40 in the direction of arrow 39, heads 49A and49B of retainer 46 may slide along and exert their biasing force on thesides of tray 20 until they finally maintain and hold their positionssubstantially at points P2 within respective grooves 29A and 29B.

The biasing force of retainer 46 may attempt to push heads 49A and 49Bcloser together (i.e., to reduce the length of distance D″ therebetweento that of original distance D (see, e.g., FIG. 5)), for example, bysliding heads 49 along their respective grooves in the direction ofarrow 59 from points P2 towards points P1. However, the movement of tray20 in the direction of arrow 39 that would be required for this slidingof heads 49 towards points P1 can be prevented by the interaction of end21 of tray 20 with the portions of housing 18 about opening 19.Moreover, the slope of grooves 29 from points P1 to P2 along with thebiasing force of retainer 46 to reduce the length of distance D″ canprevent heads 49 from sliding in the direction of arrow 39 from pointsP2 to a portion of tray 20 outside of grooves 29, and therefore canprevent tray 20 from moving in the direction of arrow 59 with respect tohousing 18.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 12, despite the potential shift of circuitboard 11 further away from opening 19 in the direction of arrow 39 to alength LL, the interaction of the geometry of grooves 29 and the biasingforce exerted by heads 49 of retainer 46 therein (e.g., substantially atpoints P2) can pull tray 20 as far as possible in the direction of arrow39 to its fully loaded position. Furthermore, this interaction of thegeometry of grooves 29 and the biasing force exerted by heads 49 ofretainer 46 therein can retain tray 20 at that position such that theinteraction of end 21 of tray 20 with the portions of housing 18 aboutopening 19 can define how far tray 20 is pulled in the direction ofarrow 39 to its fully loaded position by retainer 46.

Conversely, FIG. 13 shows illustrative device 10″, which can be similarto device 10 of FIGS. 1-11, except that circuit board 11 can bemanufactured into device 10″ in such a way that it is separated by thesurface of housing 18 about opening 19 by a distance LS that may besubstantially shorter than distance L of FIG. 11. Likewise, circuitboard 11 can be manufactured into device 10″ in such a way that secondend 23 of tray 20 in its fully loaded position is separated by the endof connector 40 by a distance ES that may be substantially shorter thandistance E of FIG. 11. In this embodiment of device 10″, for example,upon insertion of tray 20 into connector 40 in the direction of arrow39, heads 49A and 49B of retainer 46 can slide along and exert theirbiasing force on the sides of tray 20 until they finally maintain andhold their positions substantially at points P1 within respectivegrooves 29A and 29B.

The biasing force of retainer 46 may attempt to push heads 49A and 49Bcloser together (e.g, to reduce the length of distance D′″ therebetweento that of original distance D (see, e.g., FIG. 5)), for example, bysliding heads 49 along their respective grooves further in the directionof arrow 59. However, the movement of tray 20 in the direction of arrow39 that would be required for this sliding of heads 49 further towardspoints P1 can be prevented by the interaction of end 21 of tray 20 withthe portions of housing 18 about opening 19. Moreover, the slope ofgrooves 29 from points P1 to P2 along with the biasing force of retainer46 to reduce the length of distance D′″ can prevent heads 49 fromsliding in the direction of arrow 39 from points P1 to points P2, andtherefore can prevent tray 20 from moving in the direction of arrow 59with respect to housing 18.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 13, despite the potential shift of circuitboard 11 closer towards opening 19 in the direction of arrow 59 to alength LS, the interaction of the geometry of grooves 29 and the biasingforce exerted by heads 49 of retainer 46 therein (e.g., substantially atpoints P1) can pull tray 20 as far as possible in the direction of arrow39 to its fully loaded position. Furthermore, this interaction of thegeometry of grooves 29 and the biasing force exerted by heads 49 ofretainer 46 therein can retain tray 20 at that position such that theinteraction of end 21 of tray 20 with the portions of housing 18 aboutopening 19 can define how far tray 20 is pulled in the direction ofarrow 39 to its fully loaded position by retainer 46. The length PL ofgrooves 29 of tray 20 between points P1 and P2 (see, e.g., FIG. 9) canbe at least equal to the difference between the greatest potentialshifts of circuit board 11 closer to and farther away from opening 19(e.g., the difference between LL and LS) that may occur due tovariations in the manufacturing of the device.

It is to be understood that, despite these manufacturing variations ofdevice 10, the surface of end 21 of tray 20 can be any suitable shapesuch that it can be substantially flush with the portions of housing 18about opening 19 when tray 20 is held in its fully loaded position byconnector 40, thereby creating a smooth profile for that portion of thedevice. For example, as shown in FIG. 12, the surface of housing 18about opening 19 may be substantially straight and flat, and, therefore,so can be the surface of end 21 of tray 20, linearly, with the surfaceof housing 18 about opening 19.

Alternatively, however, as shown in FIG. 13, the surface of housing 18about opening 19 may be substantially curved, and, therefore, so can bethe surface of end 21 of tray 20. The curvature of end 21 can becontinuous with the curvature of housing 18 about opening 19 so as tocreate a smooth profile for that portion of the device. Moreover, thesurface of end 21 of tray 20 can be any suitable shape such that it maynot jut out beyond where the portion of housing 18 would be if not foropening 19 when tray 20 is held in its fully loaded position byconnector 40. For example, as also shown in FIG. 13, tray 20 can insteadbe provided with a surface of end 21′ that may be straight and flatbetween the curved portions of housing 18 about opening 19.Alternatively, tray 20 can be provided with a surface of end 21″ thatmay be sunken by a distance S within the curved portions of housing 18about opening 19.

With continued reference to FIGS. 5-10, the ejectable component assemblycan also include a tray ejecting element or tray ejector 50 for ejectingtray 20 from connector 40. Tray ejector 50 can include base 52 coupledto housing 18 by pivot 51. Extension arm 54 may not only extend frombase 52 in a first direction and be coupled to user contact plate 53,but extension arm 54 may also extend from base 52 in a second directionand be coupled to tray contact plate 55. Tray ejector 50 can be providedsuch that base 52 and, thereby, extension arm 54 may pivot about pivot51 in the direction of arrows 51′. Moreover, tray ejector 50 can beprovided such that base 52 may be biased with respect to pivot 51 (e.g.,by a spring), whereby user contact plate 53 abuts or is substantiallyadjacent to the interior of housing 18 about opening 19 absent anyexternal forces that may be applied to either or both of user contactplate 53 and tray contact plate 55.

A user of device 10 may eject tray 20 from connector 40, either to loadtray 20 with a module 30 or to remove module 30 from tray 20, usingejector 50. For example, a user may insert a paperclip or any othersuitable instrument 60 through hole 56 in housing 18 adjacent opening19, in the direction of arrow 57 (e.g., as shown in FIG. 7), therebyexerting a force against user contact plate 53 in the direction of arrow57. Alternatively, a user may insert paperclip or any other suitableinstrument 60 through hole 28 in first end 21 of tray 20 and throughhole 58 in housing 18 adjacent opening 19, in the direction of arrow 57(e.g., as shown in FIG. 8), thereby exerting a force against usercontact plate 53 in the direction of arrow 57. In any event, a forceexerted by the user on user contact plate 53 in the direction of arrow57 can pivot extension arm 54 and base 52 about pivot 51 (e.g., as shownin FIG. 9) such that a force in the direction of arrow 59 (generallyopposite to that of arrow 57) can be exerted against tray 20 by traycontact plate 55 (e.g., as shown in FIG. 10), thereby forcing tray 20 inthe direction of arrow 59 and releasing tray 20 from its retainedposition between heads 49A and 49B of tray retainer 46.

By coupling tray ejector 50 to housing 18 (e.g., by pivot 51), asopposed to coupling ejector 50 to connector 40 or board 11, ejector 50(e.g., user contact plate 53) can be at the same distance d from theflushness of housing 18 about opening 19 with end 21 of tray 20 (see,e.g., FIG. 8) despite any variations in the distance L between board 11and that flushness, as described above with respect to FIGS. 11-13.Therefore, the same ejector 50 can function properly, and as describedabove, within any device provided with an ejectable component assembly16, regardless of any variance in the distance L between the circuitboard 11 and housing 18 of the device.

Tray 20 may be formed of any suitable material such as plastic or metal,for example. However, when tray 20 is formed of a metal, such asaluminum, tray 20 can be anodized and coated such that it may beinsulated and rendered substantially not conductive. Yet, despite thiscoating, if a user handling tray 20 has a charge, that charge couldshock device 10 as the user inserts tray 20 therein. Therefore, one ormore portions of an anodized metal tray 20 (see, e.g., sides 70 of tray20 in FIGS. 1 and 9) can be laser etched to expose the conductive metalmaterial, such that when tray is inserted into connector 40 as describedabove, exposed portions 70 may contact one or more grounding portionsprovided by connector 40 (see, e.g., grounding element 72 of track 42 inFIG. 9) to remove any charge imparted by the user onto the metal tray.

It is to be understood that, although ejectable component assembly 16has been described as including a connector 40 and a tray 20 for loadinga removable module 30 within the connector, tray 20 may be unnecessaryand any removable module to be inserted into connector 40 may be shapedwith the features of tray 20. For example, as shown in FIG. 3A, aremovable module 30′ can be provided that may be substantially the sameas removable module 30, but that also can include first end 21′ shapedsimilarly to end 21 of tray 20, second end 23′ shaped similarly to end23 of tray 20, and grooves 29′ shaped similarly to grooves 29 of tray20, such that module 30′ may be inserted into and removed from connector40 in the same way that tray 20 may be inserted into and removed fromconnector 40.

While there have been described electronic devices with ejectablecomponent assemblies that create smooth profiles with the externalsurfaces of the housings of the devices, despite variations in theirmanufacture, it is to be understood that many changes may be madetherein without departing from the spirit and scope of the presentinvention. It will also be understood that various directional andorientational terms such as “upper” and “lower,” “length” and “height,”and the like are used herein only for convenience, and that no fixed orabsolute directional or orientational limitations are intended by theuse of these words. For example, the devices of this invention can haveany desired orientation. If reoriented, different directional ororientational terms may need to be used in their description, but thatwill not alter their fundamental nature as within the scope and spiritof this invention. Moreover, an electronic device constructed inaccordance with the principles of the present invention may be of anysuitable three-dimensional shape, including, but not limited to, asphere, cone, octahedron, or combination thereof, rather than ahexahedron, as illustrated by device 10 of FIGS. 1-13. Those skilled inthe art will appreciate that the invention can be practiced by otherthan the described embodiments, which are presented for purposes ofillustration rather than of limitation, and the invention is limitedonly by the claims which follow.

What is claimed is:
 1. An electronic device comprising: a housing havingan opening and defining a housing hole; a circuit board within thehousing; a retainer within the housing and configured to apply a biasingforce to a tray when the tray is inserted through the opening in a firstdirection, the biasing force being configured to urge the tray in thefirst direction and into the housing until a removable module havingelectronic circuitry and being carried by the tray is in communicationwith the circuit board, the tray defining a tray hole; and an ejectorwithin the housing and being configured to apply an ejection force to aportion of the tray that is within the housing, the ejection force beingconfigured to urge the tray in a second direction opposite the firstdirection, wherein when the tray is fully inserted into the opening, thehousing hole is aligned with the tray hole to receive an instrument foractuating the ejector.
 2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein theejector comprises: an extension arm pivotably coupled to the housing;and a contact plate connected to the extension arm, wherein theextension arm, when actuated, urges the contact plate against a portionof the tray to eject the tray from the opening.
 3. The electronic deviceof claim 1, wherein a width of the tray tapers along a region having anotch for engagement with the retainer.
 4. The electronic device ofclaim 3, wherein the retainer comprises: a head portion configured to bereceived within the notch; a flexible arm portion coupled to the headportion and configured to bias the head portion toward the notch; and abase portion coupling the flexible arm portion to the housing.
 5. Theelectronic device of claim 1, wherein the tray comprises: an endportion; and a body portion for supporting the removable module.
 6. Theelectronic device of claim 5, wherein, when the body portion is fullyinserted into the housing: the end portion is flush with an outersurface of the housing of the electronic device; and the circuit boardis configured to electrically communicate with the removable module. 7.The electronic device of claim 5, wherein the end portion of the trayhas a maximum width greater than a maximum width of the opening, and theend portion has a maximum height greater than a maximum height of theopening.
 8. An electronic device comprising: a housing having an openingfor receiving a tray carrying a removable module; a retainer within thehousing and being configured to urge the tray into the housing; and anejector within the housing and being actuatable to eject the tray out ofthe housing by inserting an instrument through a portion of the tray anda portion of the housing.
 9. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein awidth of the tray tapers along a region having a notch for engagementwith the retainer.
 10. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein: thehousing defines a housing hole; the tray defines a tray hole; and whenthe tray is fully inserted into the opening, the housing hole is alignedwith the tray hole to receive the instrument for actuating the ejector.11. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the tray comprises: an endportion; and a body portion for supporting the removable module.
 12. Theelectronic device of claim 11, wherein, when the body portion is fullyinserted into the housing: the end portion is flush with an outersurface of the housing of the electronic device; and a circuit board ofthe electronic device is configured to electrically communicate with theremovable module.
 13. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the endportion of the tray has a maximum width greater than a maximum width ofthe opening, and the end portion has a maximum height greater than amaximum height of the opening.
 14. An electronic device comprising: ahousing; a circuit board within the housing; a retainer within thehousing and configured to apply a biasing force to a tray in a firstdirection until a removable module carried by the tray is incommunication with the circuit board; and an ejector within the housingand being configured to apply an ejection force to a portion of the trayin a second direction opposite the first direction until the tray isreleased from the retainer, the ejector being accessible within thehousing by an instrument when the instrument is inserted through aportion of the tray and a portion of the housing.
 15. The electronicdevice of claim 14, wherein a width of the tray tapers along a regionhaving a notch for engagement with the retainer.
 16. The electronicdevice of claim 14, wherein: the housing defines a housing hole; thetray defines a tray hole; and when the tray is fully inserted into thehousing, the housing hole is aligned with the tray hole to receive aninstrument for actuating the ejector.
 17. The electronic device of claim14, wherein the tray comprises: an end portion; and a body portion forsupporting the removable module.
 18. The electronic device of claim 17,wherein, when the body portion is fully inserted into the housing: theend portion is flush with an outer surface of the housing of theelectronic device; and the circuit board is configured to electricallycommunicate with the removable module.
 19. The electronic device ofclaim 17, the tray being insertable through an opening in the housing,wherein the end portion of the tray has a maximum width greater than amaximum width of the opening, and the end portion has a maximum heightgreater than a maximum height of the opening.